Pentagram Partner Paula Scher Designs New Packaging For German Wine Brand Blue Nun

For German wine brand Blue Nun's 100th anniversary, Pentagram partner Paula Scher created a new packaging system that redefines the brand's Blue Nun mascot.

The oversized, blushing nun takes over the outer box and is also featured on the wine labels. The skinny, delicate typeface allows the new character to become the lead element, leaning into a visual approach. The first iteration of the new bottle design features a "100" that appears on the labels but will be removed after the anniversary celebration. 

Blue Nun is a German wine brand with a rich, flamboyant history. Originally launched in 1921, the brand’s affordable prices and clever approach toward mass appeal marketing quickly made it a trendy staple among wine drinkers and partygoers. To celebrate the brand’s 100th anniversary, Pentagram partner Paula Scher designed playful new packaging that reimagines the iconic Blue Nun character. 

The original label image depicted 18th century nuns picking grapes in a vineyard, but for the anniversary, the design team wanted to capture the lively, indulgent spirit of the Roaring Twenties decade that birthed the brand, so they opted to give the nun a complete makeover. The new label features a saucy, glamorous portrait of a blushing nun inspired by the French 20th century designer and Art Deco artist Erté.